President Thomas S. Monson on how to live greatly

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"All of us are prone to excuse our own mediocre performance. We blame our misfortunes, our disfigurements, or our so-called handicaps. Victims of our own rationalization, we say silently to ourselves: 'I'm just too weak,' or 'I'm not cut out for better things.' Others soar beyond our meager accomplishments. Envy and discouragement then take their toll. 

"Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we have never given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever—this is the true idea: to get ahead of ourselves. 

"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, 'How might we achieve these goals?' I answer, 'By getting a true perspective of who we really are!' We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: 'Created in the image of God.' We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan." 

- Thomas S. Monson, "Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings," Ensign, July 1973
Click here to read the full talk

It's so easy to fall into the traps Pres. Monson describes—looking for a scapegoat for our shortcomings, doubting our personal abilities, comparing our performance or achievement to others around us. Each of those is self-defeating in our attempts to progress and reach our potential.

The real, final key to success in life is to truly understand who we are and what our divine potential is.
His reminders about personal progress are worth pondering; a better perspective is not only healthier as we encounter trials, but enables us to achieve far more than those self-limiting perspectives. Understanding our possibilities as sons and daughters of God brings "a profound new sense of strength and power" enabling us to truly reach our potential.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

January 12, 2015

President Spencer W. Kimball on living the gospel life

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) was ordained an apostle in 1943 and served as President of the Church from 1973 to 1985.

"If we live in a way that permits us to be more accepted of God, we should not be surprised if we are rejected by the world, or surprised if its ways seem more and more alien to us. The gospel offers us not only the prospect of eternal life, but provides us a whole way of life in mortality. Whereas so many in the world see death as the end and the loss of hope, we testify to the reality of the resurrection. Just as immortality and eternal life stand in such sharp contrast to the world’s lack of purpose, so the righteous way of life stands in sharp contrast to the ways of the world. Let us make certain there is oil in our own lamps. Let us live our lives so we can have the gift of the Holy Ghost operating evermore constantly in our lives.

"Let us remember, too, that greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one’s life, but of the quality of one’s life. True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out our tasks whatever they are. In that attitude, let us give our time, ourselves, and our talents to the things that really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now."

- Spencer W. Kimball, "A Gift of Gratitude," Liahona December 1977
Click here to read the full article

President Kimball suggests that anyone living in a way that pleases God will notice two things: the world's ways will begin to seem alien to us, and we will feel rejection from the world. It's been over 40 years since these thoughts were published, and we can only assume that the world's way has diverged even further from the gospel path. We would benefit from pondering ways in which we see this dichotomy between our own path and the world's way of life. We should see that "the righteous way of life stands in sharp contrast to the ways of the world."

As we consider gospel standards in contrast to the world and its standards, this is a good example of the contrast. What does it really mean to achieve greatness? President Kimball reminds us that the important thing is quality of life, not necessarily scale of influence. His criterion for evaluating our activities and priorities is a great one: will that thing matter a thousand years from now?

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Thomas S. Monson on meeting the demands of our future

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"To meet the combined demands of the accumulated past and of the accumulating future, all of us need:

"To act—not just react.

"To innovate—not just imitate.

"To program—not just resolve.

"To accelerate—not just vacillate."

- Thomas S. Monson, “Spectrum-on-the-Road,” Bountiful, Utah, March 14, 1968; see "President Thomas S. Monson quotes: highlights of a prophet's teachings," Church News, January 3, 2018

This enthusiastic and encouraging invitation from President Monson is so typical of the attitude of his life—that we be active, productive, and growing:

We might do well to consider various aspects of our life—family, professional, church service, personal growth—and evaluate how we are doing based on this challenge. Are we truly moving forward in positive ways, or are we just hanging on and maintaining the status quo? Are we challenging ourselves to accelerate our activities and achievements? This is a worthwhile thought to ponder. President Monson suggests that this kind of attitude will be necessary to "meet the... demands... of the accumulating future."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Howard W. Hunter on self-evaluation and the real impact of our lives

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"As we evaluate our lives, it is important that we look, not only at our accomplishments, but also at the conditions under which we have labored. We are all different and unique individuals; we have each had different starting points in the race of life; we each have a unique mixture of talents and skills; we each have our own set of challenges and constraints to contend with. Therefore, our judgment of ourselves and our achievements should not merely include the size or magnitude and number of our accomplishments; it should also include the conditions that have existed and the effect that our efforts have had on others.

"It is this last aspect of our self-evaluation—the effect of our lives on the lives of others—that will help us understand why some of the common, ordinary work of life should be valued so highly. Frequently it is the commonplace tasks that have the greatest positive effect on the lives of others, as compared with the things that the world so often relates to greatness."

- Howard W. Hunter, "True Greatness," General Conference April 1982
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

It's almost impossible not to compare ourselves with others, in evaluating achievements and position in life. But President Hunter points out that it's very easy to evaluate ourselves unfairly, when all we see is the visible, public accomplishments. Other factors he mentions include:

• Our starting point in life, which may vary greatly from others
• The talents and stills we have to work with
• The challenges and constraints, unique to each life, that we contend with

Any judgement of achievements should include a realistic evaluation of all these aspects. And one more thing we often neglect—what has truly been the impact on others around us?

Sometimes the greatest and most eternally-significant accomplishments lie in the small, quiet impact that we might have on others as we serve, interact, share, teach, support, minister, or bless. President Hunter reminds us that often those "commonplace tasks" of life are what really matters most!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Howard W. Hunter on achieving true greatness in life

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President for only nine months, from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"Many Latter-day Saints are happy and enjoying the opportunities life offers. Yet I am concerned that some among us are unhappy. Some of us feel that we are falling short of our expected ideals. I have particular concern for those who have lived righteously but think—because they haven't achieved in the world or in the Church what others have achieved—that they have failed. Each of us desires to achieve a measure of greatness in this life. And why shouldn't we? As someone once noted, there is within each of us a giant struggling with celestial homesickness. (See Heb. 11:13-16; D&C 45:11-14.) ...

"What is true greatness? What is it that makes a person great? ...

"Giving consistent effort in the little things in day-to-day life leads to true greatness. Specifically, it is the thousands of little deeds and tasks of service and sacrifice that constitute the giving, or losing, of one's life for others and for the Lord. They include gaining a knowledge of our Father in Heaven and the gospel. They also include bringing others into the faith and fellowship of his kingdom. These things do not usually receive the attention or the adulation of the world....

"True greatness is never a result of a chance occurrence or a onetime effort or achievement. Greatness requires the development of character. It requires a multitude of correct decisions in the everyday choices between good and evil that Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke about when he said, 'Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value.' (Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 21.) Those choices will also show clearly what we are."

- Howard W. Hunter, "What is True Greatness?," BYU devotional, February 10, 1987; see Ensign, Sept 1987, pp. 70-72
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Have I achieved anything worthwhile in life? Have I lived up to my potential? Sometimes questions like this are a result of comparing ourselves with those around us who seem to have accomplished more than we have. But sometimes they are honest inquiries about our personal efforts. President Hunter considers what it means to "achieve greatness" in our lives.

The phrase "celestial homesickness" is an interesting one to ponder; perhaps there is something deep inside us longing to return to our heavenly home.

The real message of this excerpt for me lies in how we define greatness. The world's definition often involves recognition and prominence; but in God's sense, it's the development of character, the commitment to principles, the ongoing faithfulness demonstrated by disciples who give "consistent effort in the little things in day-to-day life." That's what we really should aspire to!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Thomas S. Monson on how to live greatly

President Monson (1927- ) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"All of us are prone to excuse our own mediocre performance. We blame our misfortunes, our disfigurements, or our so-called handicaps. Victims of our own rationalization, we say silently to ourselves: 'I'm just too weak,' or 'I'm not cut out for better things.' Others soar beyond our meager accomplishments. Envy and discouragement then take their toll.
"Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we have never given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever--this is the true idea: to get ahead of ourselves.
"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, 'How might we achieve these goals?' I answer, 'By getting a true perspective of who we really are!' We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: 'Created in the image of God.' We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan."
- Thomas S. Monson, "Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings," Ensign, July 1973
Click here to read the full talk

It's so easy to fall into the traps Pres. Monson describes—looking for a scapegoat for our shortcomings, doubting our personal abilities, comparing our performance or achievement to others around us. His reminders about personal progress are worth pondering; a better perspective is not only healthier as we encounter trials, but enables us to achieve far more than those self-limiting perspectives..